Community Brag Posts

This was actually my first build. I had just about had it, went with all three kids, got the wood, and built it while my hubby was at work (24 hr. shifts at the fire station). And yes, that was after I finally Googled, "How to unlock a Dewalt Compound Miter Saw" after 30 minutes of unsuccessful prodding! :-) I'm super happy with how it came out (despite the poor flashy picture)! And it was great "practice" for doing my girl's farmhouse beds.

This was hard for me because I am horrible at using the jigsaw. If I do another one I'll probably not do as many door openings.
It took longer than expected due to filling in all the pocket holes an waiting for the wood filler to dry.
My grandson loves it, he didn't care about my mistakes on it.

The project went relatively well. Had to readjust in order to fit our king. I used 2x4s and 2x4 joist hangers to support the mattres. 

House numbers 

I used Ana's plans for the play stove, fridge and sink. I LOVED Crafting Chick's take on it so I copied her great accessories. I found my knobs at Walmart and my hooks at Hobby Lobby. I also found the fabric at Hobby Lobby. I used 3/4" hardwood plywood, but if I could do it again I would have used MDF. It's much smoother! I still love it though! Oh... So do the kids ;-)) You can read more details at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2011/07/play-kitchen-reveal.html.

We started with the bench as a weekend project. After counter-sinking and filling all those screw holes we borrowed a Kreg jr and took onothe table project. However we ended up countersinking the top boards for the table as well; it was easier for us to visualize the spacing between boards and make sure everything was as square and level as we could make it... We used behr paint and primer in one in a satin finish and opted for a punchy green to brighten up our courtyard.
We plan to build another bench since it will tuck in nicely under the table when not in use, and we can pull the table out and use the bench when we need more seating.
We love our new outdoor furniture!! Thanks Ana!

Took me a bit longer since I had to make a new cutting list as my table was smaller.  Plus, the wife wanted a really dark rich stain on it so several coats went into the stain.

Took roughly 15hrs and $500... We bought the top at Lowes for $150 on sale (Acacia), because it turns out butcher block counter tops of this size (considered an "Island" top) are like $500 and I don't know who can afford those shenanigans but certainly not us. Interesting point: in as much as I totally appreciate the design (Thank You Ana!) the instructions are mostly beautiful but have a few key areas with room for improvement. If you are thinking of building this take some time to go over all the materials and really map out the project. I purchased everything in 8' lengths as per the shopping list, I realized afterwards that because my unit is only 5' long I now have many 3' cut-offs.... had I purhased 10' lengths, you see where I'm going with this yes? I would have paid more per board but had less leftovers. I think I also have a package of unopened screws and an extra board from the shopping list, no big deal, it's like the 10 hot dogs for an 8 pack of buns conundrum, I've now entered an infinite loop. I also realized too late that to use the pocket hole screws to secure the counter top I would need to drill the holes (using my handy dandy Kreg Jig) before putting the slats on the top shelf or else I couldn't get my drill in, rookie move I know...You may find, as I learned, Lowes/Home Depot do not carry such things as 4x4s that are not pressure treated and therefore not ideal to have in one's kitchen...I ended up purchasing all the lumber at an actual lumberyard (Peacock Lumber, Oshawa, Canada), which was cool, because now I know where that place is, and it smells nice. Have fun with your build. I tried to post some other pictures but they kept coming up sideways, story of my life. Take a look on Facebook if you want Adam Connor in Pickering, Canada, I'm not shy ;-)

This was a father's day present. My husband was quite impressed!

We needed more counter space in our kitchen and I saw the plan for Michaela's kitchen island I thought it would be perfect. I asked my husband to alter it to fit our space. We used Poplar for the base and Walnut for the top. My husband planed and joined the walnut from rough cut boards. We then shellacked and polyed the top. On the bottom we used SW Urbane Bronze with a walnut stain over the top. I Love how it tuned out! Thanks for the great plans!

Very finicky to assemble, but love the finished product!

I made this side table after the truss end table plans. I added my own flair to it and made the center in a herringbone design.  slight modification to the plan to my desire.

We remodeled our basement and added a master bathroom. The vanity space we had needed a custom vanity. We saw the Balin Console Table here and thought it would work nicely. It does! The four 12x12 drawers hold everything we need to use and keep discrete and the storage space underneath works nicely for extras that need to be away but quickly accessed.

I used the Martina Bath Wall Shelf as a design element and extended the length to 49.75" to create a custom piece to hang over my little one's dresser in the nursery. I used select pine, pre-stain and dark walnut for the finish. I spent a little more than what can be expected as I didn't have scrap pieces in the desired size as well as spent $20 on bar brackets that can hold 200 lbs. I went a little overboard on the strength capacity but its for a baby's nursery.

This was our first big DIY project and I absolutely LOVE the finished product. We now have a solid, sturdy king size bed that everyone loves. The plans were pretty easy to follow although I chose to make the headboard and footboard taller than mentioned on the original plans. The measurements came from another Ana White DIY-er  http://diystinctlymade.com/2014/02/05/diy-pottery-barn-farmhouse-bed/  . For the bed frame, brackets and 2x4s were used. The stain use was dark walnut by Rust-o-leum and finished with minwax polyurethane semigloss. Working on and off, it took us approximately 2 weeks to finish the project; although, I'm pretty sure it could've been completed in a weekend. 

Thanks for the great plans. Love this bed.  Next project, a nightstand.

Built this a little smaller - only 15" deep and 42" wide for use behind the couch with multiple functions - laptop desk, dining room buffet table, and behind-the-couch-set-things-on table. Love it!

Tricky parts - the drawers. Because I changed the dimensions, I built the drawer box to fit my new dimensions and installed it. Then, I cut the sides of my drawers 10" deep (the smallest drawer slides I could find and a perfect fit). I laid the Hettich ball bearing drawer slides (from my local lumber and cabinet supplier, not big box) in the drawer box and trimmed down my drawer front/back until they fit nicely. If you're interested, it was 15 1/8" wide.

Nail gun is a must on this project!!! And remember to glue and use 2" nails.

I used the Kreg jig to build my drawers because I'm familiar with building drawers that way and feel comfortable getting them squared. I highly recommend the Kreg jig!

Then, I attacked it with my orbital sander until it was nice and smooth.

Love Ana's great patterns!